Low-Voltage 100V GaN Transistors for Data Center Power Architectures

Renesas is releasing a new family of 100V enhancement-mode (E-mode) GaN-based discrete power transistors, including the RTP100E005G1FL, RTP100E2P6G1FL, RTP100E1P8G1FL-DSC, and RTP100E1P2G1FL-DSC models. This technology is engineered to manage the megahertz-class switching frequencies required for industrial automation, high-density AI data centers, and solar microinverter applications.

Transitioning to 48V Bus Architectures
As data center infrastructure and industrial power systems shift toward 800 VDC power distribution and 48V bus architectures, power converter stages are migrating from kilohertz to megahertz-class switching frequencies. This transition allows engineers to decrease the physical size of magnetic components and increase overall system power density. Implementing low-voltage GaN components in these high-voltage direct current (HVDC) architectures reduces the necessary size of passive components and lowers the required thermal cooling capacity. By utilizing a silicon-compatible packaging footprint, the GaN field-effect transistors (FETs) allow integration into existing printed circuit board (PCB) layouts without demanding comprehensive structural redesigns.

Switching Metrics and Thermal Performance
The 100V GaN transistors reduce energy loss in conversion cycles by minimizing the time overlap between voltage and current. The components feature zero reverse recovery charge (Qrr = 0), which eliminates a common source of switching loss found in traditional silicon alternatives. The devices achieve up to a 35 percent reduction in hard-switching figure-of-merit (FOM) and up to a 63 percent reduction in soft-switching FOM compared to comparable GaN iterations on the market.

The components provide an on-resistance (RDS(on)) range spanning from 1.2 mΩ to 5 mΩ, enabling operational scalability across different power levels for synchronous rectification and multiphase buck conversion. The FETs are packaged in FCLGA and FCLGA-DSC formats, providing bottom- and dual-side cooling configurations to manage heat dissipation in densely packed hardware. Depending on the specific conversion topology, these specifications yield up to a 40 to 70 percent reduction in switching losses, subsequently reducing the mechanical reliance on active fan cooling.

Akhil Nair, Senior Director of Low-Voltage GaN at Renesas, noted that engineers integrating next-generation technology for robotics and renewable energy systems require components that deliver specific switching performance while providing a straightforward transition from existing silicon MOSFET designs.

Additional Context
This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original news release.

In the low-voltage (100V) GaN FET market, comparable components are manufactured by companies such as Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) and Infineon Technologies. EPC produces the EPC2218 and EPC2302 100V eGaN FETs, which feature RDS(on) values down to 1.8 mΩ and target similar 48V DC-DC conversion environments. Infineon's 100V CoolGaN series similarly utilizes enhancement-mode operation with competitive on-resistance specifications optimized for high-frequency switching operations. The Renesas RTP100 series competes directly through its thermal management options—specifically the dual-side cooling FCLGA-DSC packages—which disperse thermal loads away from the PCB surface to accommodate the elevated power density requirements of server-grade soft-switching topologies.

Edited by Aishwarya Mambet, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

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